This was another book I bought without really looking at reviews, only to see them be middling. Still I loved the idea behind it so much that I w3.5/5

This was another book I bought without really looking at reviews, only to see them be middling. Still I loved the idea behind it so much that I was glad to have some space in my busy review schedule to actually read a book I own.

The part of the summary that I loved was Sawyer thinking her boyfriend died in an accident only to discover that someone carefully plotted his death and assumes she would be grateful for those actions. That assumption comes from knowledge that the boyfriend was abusive to Sawyer, something that she never shared with anyone. Then a teacher who harassed Sawyer ends up dead and things really start getting crazy.

I found this book very easy to read though its writing certainly isn't deep nor do the characters have much development. The most intriguing part was how Sawyer has been prescribed medication (understandable given the death of her boyfriend and also lingering tensions from her parents' divorce) and her narration of events may or may not be accurate depending on how she's coping. Personally I was completely caught off-guard by the reveal of who is behind everything though there wasn't really a large suspect pool-I feel like it could have been one of four people, based on who is named and who is close enough to Sawyer and it was one of those four. But that's only in hindsight. While reading I was completely caught up in the story.

So the writing keeps you gripped. But the characters, where the novel really makes or breaks it, weren't much of anything. I adored the flashbacks of Sawyer to memories of her boyfriend: how he always said he wanted her which felt so good after the turmoil of her parents' relationship but how that turned dark. I apparently have a high tolerance for books with abusive relationships so I valued seeing those sections and how it influences Sawyer's decision in this later chapter of her life. She feared no one would believe her about the abuse because they seemed like the perfect couple and she fears no one will believe her about these other incidents especially because when she does try to go to the police, the small fragments of evidences she has are dismissed as coincidence. Other characters include her best friend Chloe who adds some welcome moments of humor and new love interest Cooper who I didn't get much of a feel for (I pretty much pictured him as a younger Cooper from Meg Cabot's Heather Wells series because they share a name.)

Overall: Addictive writing but not an outstanding example of characterization. Pick it up for a quick read, maybe even this month as there are a few chills within these pages....more

This is going to be a shorter review since it's Saturday, it's non-fiction, and it was just amazing so I don't have any nits tSource: B-day present :)

This is going to be a shorter review since it's Saturday, it's non-fiction, and it was just amazing so I don't have any nits to pick. My very good friend gifted this to me for my birthday since she knows what a reader I am but that I don't really read a lot of non-fiction. Claiborne is one of her favorite authors and I'm excited to have been introduced to him.

Favorite Quote: "I have pledged allegiance to a King who loved evildoers so much he died for them...teaching us that there is something worth dying for but nothing worth killing for." (pg 365)

Trying to decide where exactly to start is quite difficult as the book covers a lot of ground following Claiborne's life as a Christian, from his inauthentic conversion as a youth, accepting something he didn't fully understand and tracing his adult life searching for that authentic faith and disturbing his comfortable lifestyle for something Christlike. It's a history but it's also a calling to work and an inspiration for where to go. The overwhelming impression I have is of the fire in Shane as he reaches out to us, very personally, trying to shake us up especially good for me as I had become somewhat complacent in the waning days of 2012. Additionally I found his writing style just very smooth and engaging even when it made me uncomfortable, either because I knew he was calling me out in a way I needed to be challenged or because I didn't entirely agree with him.

The other theme I would like to touch on is the seeming contradiction in the subtitle "an ordinary radical." How do those seemingly opposite words fit together in Claiborne's vision? Well he traces the word "radical" back to its origins in "root" and sees it as utterly fitting that his lifestyle is now more in line with that of those in the early church. If it seems odd to contemporary Western Christians, then that's more a reflection of the culture in which we immerse ourselves; it would seem typical to disciples in the early church. There are lots of other educational passages in this book and all together it was an excellent read and very jolting....more

I realized that it had been ages since I'd read an Agatha Christie and that I just happened to own one that had been left unread. Thus I set about toI realized that it had been ages since I'd read an Agatha Christie and that I just happened to own one that had been left unread. Thus I set about to rectify the situation. The title meant nothing to me but it's apparently a quote from Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" (which I am planning to read later this year!)

The book is divided into three parts.I. This introduces all of the characters, including the setup for the story as flashing back from a trial, and concludes with someone dying, under suspicion of poison.II. In this part, Hercule Poirot is brought in to investigate and we go over some evidence although nothing is revealed yet.III. And in conclusion, we return to the trial where Poirot reveals what really happened. Did the police put the right person on trial? You'll have to read to find out!

As is usually the case in these Christie mysteries, the characters aren't particularly deep or memorable beyond Poirot's usual mannerisms (and his stupid egg-shaped head).

Did I solve the mystery? Well, I am utter crap at that so it will not be surprising to hear that I did not figure out the murderer or specific motive (although it's usually love or money and that was the case here). But I did feel a prickle of suspicion about one point that was crucial to Poirot's deductions. I couldn't manage to put everything together but at least I caught something.

Overall: I would not recommend this as your first introduction to Christie or Poirot but certainly worth a read for the die-hard fan.

Cover: I love, love, love these covers-I am collecting all of them!...more

Summary: For seven years Sophie has been the smartest kid around, placed in advanced classes but seriously socially out of sync. Her brains come partiSummary: For seven years Sophie has been the smartest kid around, placed in advanced classes but seriously socially out of sync. Her brains come partially from her ability to read minds but as it turns out, also because she is an elf. And soon she is brought into the world of elves, needing to learn their ways but also bringing her unique human-raised experience to bear on the travails ahead of them all.

So I have followed Messenger's blog for ages and was so happy to see her get her book deal. I was also super excited to read said debut and to have scored a signed copy along with illustrations of some of the main characters. However as I read, I kept thinking back to this review from The Book Smugglers, which captured so many of my feelings in a much more articulate way than I could.

In case you don't have time to click through and read their review, there are three main points. First is the treatment of science and magic. When main character Sophie discovers some of the things that elves can do but humans cannot, she calls it magic. The elf with her laughs at that explanation; see it's not science nor is it magic, it's just the way the world is. What?! What kind of answer is that, either for the supposedly bright Sophie or for me the reader?

The second point is Sophie as "the Special Snowflake." She's uber-talented and impressive beyond her years to the characters in the book but certainly not to me. I found her pretty average albeit incredibly lucky in her circumstances and through some of the decisions she makes.

Third we have the Harry Potter ripoff-that was admittedly the part I enjoyed most. There are a lot of setup scenes as well as outside of school scenes but my favorite parts were by far those when Sophie was attending her classes (which are mostly one on one-there are apparently a lot of mentors).

From my own observations, I have to say that I don't find the title super accurate. I think it could serve as the series title as Sophie is surely going to become the Keeper of the Lost Cities but I don't think it really applies to the plot in this book. I also most quibble with the plot, which was on the long side and seemed to have the two sides of Sophie learning about her elfin heritage and attending school. As previously mentioned, the latter was what I liked most but the former comes to dominate at the end and I really struggled to read this rather lengthy book.

Overall: I so very much wanted to love this but for the multiple reasons outlined above, it did not please me. If these points stand out to you, this might not be the kind of read you'd enjoy either....more

After commenting on a Waiting on Wednesday post about this book, the author contacted me and offered me a chance to read this early. Of course, I acceAfter commenting on a Waiting on Wednesday post about this book, the author contacted me and offered me a chance to read this early. Of course, I accepted because I was very intrigued by the premise: "Suicide hotline volunteer falls for troubled caller." That is something I have never read before and it's in my favorite genre!

Our main character is Billy, whose family struggled through his father's depression last year and who fears recurrences. It is suggested that he take up a hobby and he channels his would-be psychologist mind into volunteering at a helpline. Although volunteers are only supposed to spend 5 minutes with each caller, Billy finds himself repeatedly speaking to the suicidal Jenney and blurring the lines between them.

I read much of this book with my mouth just agape as this is a book that looks at some tough issues. Billy is a bright sensitive young man but he is still very young and not able to handle everything he thinks he can. Although Jenney is only a voice on the phone, her realness is obvious to Billy and through that, to the reader. Even as I feared the worst, I hoped for the two of them to realize their connection and forge a new happier story for themselves.

While Billy finds solace at the hotline, his relationship with his father fractures. The father is pursuing a second chance at his art and Billy fears the worst. Wanting only to protect the man, he goes about it in a heavy handed and unwelcome manner that only exacerbates their problems.

Despite the fact that this could easily have been an unrelentingly sad book, that was not my lingering impression. I still felt hope and a connection to the characters. They were real people and I wanted them to be alright at this point in time and to keep fighting for their happiness and dreams-always a good feeling to have about a book!

Overall: A compellingly readable contemporary fiction look at some very real-life issues, proving there are no easy answers....more

As a long-time Agatha Christie fan and a huge fan of retellings, this book inspired by her classic And Then There Were None was of immediate interestAs a long-time Agatha Christie fan and a huge fan of retellings, this book inspired by her classic And Then There Were None was of immediate interest to me. It's a tricky story where I was unable to solve the mystery (although to be honest, I rarely figure out the murderer in a Christie) but I had hopes for doing so in this case. Alas they were misguided as I was caught completely off-guard by the actual murderer after thinking it was someone else. But let's go back to the beginning.

This book gathers ten teens together for a weekend with a raging party. Although not everyone knows each other, those who do have simmering tensions. Best friends Meg and Minnie both have a crush on popular boy TJ whose best friend Gunner used to date Minnie. Gunner's new girlfriend is also there as are a few more kids. But Meg is our main character although she does not narrate in first person, which kept throwing me. I am so used to YA main characters narrating that I often struggle to connect with third-person narration. This was the case here although I think the plot itself also helped with my disconnect. As the story turns dark, everyone is potentially a murderer and who wants to identify with a murderer?

So while I didn't connect with the characters, I did really appreciate the atmospheric setting. They're on a basically deserted island without power during a massive storm, which served to ratchet up the tension. I'm not usually one to notice the setting but it was very evocative here.

One last item to mention is something that also bothered me about the original book-I am just so uncomfortable with this vigilante justice. The murderer firmly believes in his/her cause, which would likely not be prosecuted had legal means been pursued but I hate the idea of a person deciding to claim their own justice through such means. It's the nature of the story but I really hate it.

Overall: Not at all character driven but full of suspense for fans of such....more

I think I may have mentioned one or two times that I love Elizabeth Scott's writing. While I do have my favorite books of hers, I appreciate that4.5/5

I think I may have mentioned one or two times that I love Elizabeth Scott's writing. While I do have my favorite books of hers, I appreciate that she tries different stories, mixing the light and the dark to always create something interesting.

I could tell this was going to be one of the darker stories just from the cover. And this was confirmed upon opening the book and realizing that main character Megan is the only survivor of a plane crash after being reported dead. Her parents are so grateful and she is promptly branded a miracle. Meanwhile all she wants is for things to go back to normal.

Her soccer coach, her teachers, people at school treat her like glass, allowing her to skip assignments, classes, and other commitments in order to get used to her regular life. Her parents continue to call her a miracle, giving excuses and allowing her to get away with anything. Her younger brother loathes her since previously he was the miracle able to get away with anything but no more since Megan's experience. The only people who treat her normally are Margaret, her oddball neighbor, and Joe, the loner boy from next-door who have their own experiences with grief. These relationships help Megan on her search to feel normal again.

This is definitely a novel for those who like excellent descriptive writing because that is the main thing you'll get. Megan is suffering from PTSD and is emotionally unresponsive-I felt deeply for her but I didn't have a real connection to her. The reader can't really because Megan is in no position for that. It is also quite a sad novel as we explore Megan, Margaret, and Joe's grief in painful detail. Their stories individually are very sad but combined together, it makes for a very intense emotional experience. While this is not a long book, it will impact for you a long time so make sure you don't read this in a hurry....more

Summary: Sara Jane has long thought there was something a little bit different and hidden about her family. But it's not til her sixteenth birthday thSummary: Sara Jane has long thought there was something a little bit different and hidden about her family. But it's not til her sixteenth birthday that she discovers that her family is deeply entwined with the Chicago Outfit (or as you may call them, the Mob) and her parents and younger brother disappear, leaving Sara Jane behind to pick up the pieces and fight for them.

It's funny how one line can bring you completely on board with a character (or conversely totally turn you off). In this case, I fell for Sara Jane when she shared this about her family: "And the thing is, I loved being with my family because they were funnier and smarter and more interesting than most other kids' families" (pg 25 ARC). The reason this worked for me was because that's basically how I've felt. My dad is SO funny and my mom's a total nurturer and when we're all together, it can be really good. Having this line in the back of my mind throughout the book really kept me close to her.

This was necessary because while Sara Jane has an interesting time in the book, the way it is written was hard to read. There are many, many interesting plots (some of the more important are Sara Jane's missing family, their history with the Outfit, her uncle's simmering resentment against her father, and her boxing career although there is also some romance, some friendship, and a tiny hint of paranormal). But they do not all coalesce. Sometimes it seemed like we were shifting to focus on one plot and then mechanically moving on to a different part of the story. It did not flow as smoothly as I might have liked.

As mentioned, I liked Sara Jane but given that this is more of a plot-driven novel, the other characters didn't make much of an impression. They were easy enough to keep track of while reading but after a few days, I have largely forgotten their names and actions. This is definitely not a novel for someone who wants to get all up-close with the characters. You have to be ready to go for a wild ride!...more

This book is still technically part of the Anne of Green Gables series (packaged all together, this is labelled as the seventh) but it focuses much moThis book is still technically part of the Anne of Green Gables series (packaged all together, this is labelled as the seventh) but it focuses much more on children, who are very like her in sensibility, and their adventures rather than Anne. Thus I feel that this is slightly misrepresented as Anne barely appears and in fact it is the new Presbyterian minister's children who have most of the page time with Anne's kids occasionally showing up as well. They are neighbors and spend a lot of time together in an area named Rainbow Valley by the Blythes.

Like the previous books, these are mostly vignettes alternating focus on the kids and allowing all of them to have a bit of spotlight. While I did like those kids for the most part, as they have good hearts and intentions even if they run wild, I feel a little upset with the publisher for marketing them all together. Surely there were stories about Anne's bunch that could have been told instead! This is compounded by the arrival of a character called Mary Vance, who seems okay at first but then becomes very annoying as she is a bossy know-it-all. It also seemed like she received more page-time than the Blythes and was supposed to be funny.

I also find myself growing a little tired of the necessity of everyone being matched up, of the incessant gossip within their small town, and the little things like that. I do enjoy the children's misadventures still as they always seem able to come up with new stuff. I was also struck by the foreshadowing to a coming war. It is my understanding that this was published in 1919 but is set probably in about 1912-4 or thereabouts and certain passages helped me ponder what would happen in the next (and last) book, which does cover the years of the Great War.

Overall: Definitely my least favorite of the Anne books as it doesn't have much Anne nor does it have a fully cohesive plot....more

Probably my second favorite book (after Anne of Green Gables) in this series!

This is the last book in the Anne of Green Gables series and one with a mProbably my second favorite book (after Anne of Green Gables) in this series!

This is the last book in the Anne of Green Gables series and one with a more serious tone as World War I breaks out and several of our beloved male characters enlist. However this book, as you might guess from the title, focuses on Rilla, youngest child of Anne, and life on the homefront in Canada during the Great War.

There was a lot to love about this book. First unlike the previous two books, this one focuses one just one character: the lovely spoiled 15-year old Rilla. Because it follows just her, I had a greater understanding of her, of her hopes and dreams AND was still able to learn the fates of my favorite characters. Over the course of the book, Rilla matures so much and endures a lot. She was a great character and even had some of the irrepressible joy of her mother.

Second, this book is mostly set during WWI. The beginning of the book overlaps with the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, an event the papers mention but few take notice of. How could the death of an Austro-Hungarian archduke affect the denizens of Canada? But too soon, everyone is swept up into war. Rilla has three older brothers and various other young men around the island enlist, including Rilla's sweetheart. No one is spared the pain of missing loved ones and some do die. Thus the emotional stakes are very high.

Third, this was a different book for me. I've read several books set during WWI and other wars. I've read books about serving at the front and about staying at home. But I'm an American and most of the books I've read have been about the American experience. This is a Canadian book and thus follows the fortunes of the United Kingdom and Canada. Thus I got to learn a bit more about the Great War!

Overall, an excellent mix of the serious with the humorous to leaven the tense parts as well as featuring a great character arc and some history lessons....more

By this book, Anne has five children (with one more on the way) and is consequently very busy. Thus this book tends to focus more on the adventures ofBy this book, Anne has five children (with one more on the way) and is consequently very busy. Thus this book tends to focus more on the adventures of her children rather than her own, giving me somewhat of a Cheaper by the Dozen vibe. Of course, I am sad to not have as much Anne but her children are a lot like her and there are still some good bits. This is especially disappointing as the book jumps around and alternates focus; I would have preferred a narrative that only followed Anne as the previous books did.

My favorite part was in the beginning when Gilbert's aunt comes to stay for two weeks, which is soon extended indefinitely. This woman is not pleasant and she grates on the nerves of everyone: Gilbert, Anne, the children, and their live-in maid Susan. Still she provided much entertainment to this reader, especially whenever she took offense at something.

The other part I anticipated was Anne's doubting of Gilbert's affections for her. She works it up into a big thing, terrified that Gilbert may now care more for the girl he hung around with in college (while Anne was seriously dating another man, I might add!) This is teased on the back cover and I assumed it would cover many pages and chapters. However it was vastly overstated and of course Gilbert cares for no one but Anne. It's patently ludicrous to suggest otherwise; he's been hers pretty much since they met.

Overall, I would have to say that this is one of the lesser efforts. I kind of feel like even Montgomery was over Anne by this point and just wanted to get one more book out there for her publishers even though she wanted to explore other worlds and characters....more

I loved Firelight. Just loved it. I knew there were flaws and I mentioned them in my review. But I just adored Will and Jacinda as a couple and eagerlI loved Firelight. Just loved it. I knew there were flaws and I mentioned them in my review. But I just adored Will and Jacinda as a couple and eagerly looked forward to Vanish. As Vanish ramped up Jacinda's feelings about Cassian, I found myself less enthused but still looking forward this, the conclusion. I was so excited about it that I preordered the book in February and made sure to block out a place for it in my reviewing schedule.

After finishing Hidden, I'm not entirely sure why I was so excited. Was the promise of Firelight really that high? Did I love Will that much? (Answers: not sure and yes, obviously). I mean, I read all of these books in a matter of hours but that is because they are not difficult reads, not so much because I was heavily invested in the characters and their journeys.

The good news for this book is that Jacinda is way less annoying. Her dithering over Cassian and Will in the second book drove me crazy and while there is definitely some of that here, for the most part Jacinda got with the program and is firmly on Team Will. Her future is linked to his and they must work together to protect the secrets of the draki.

The less good is that I was anticipating an epic confrontation between the draki and the draki hunters and while there were some good fights, for the most part, I don't feel like I got the conflict I was imagining and desiring. If you're going to give action scenes, you gotta go big! There are some stunning betrayals and revealing of secrets though if that's your kind of thing.

Other than that, I don't really have a lot to say. I think it's a pretty fitting conclusion to the trilogy, with people ending up where they should and it is very much in-line with the style of the previous books (ie action > character.)

Cover: Very striking; reminds me of Tempestuous by Lesley Livingston with the striking red hair....more

I was so scared to pick this book up! Although it has received near unanimous praise, I've been really picky lately and have found myself disappointedI was so scared to pick this book up! Although it has received near unanimous praise, I've been really picky lately and have found myself disappointed with books that the blogosphere has raved about. Happily that was not the case for this book as I absolutely loved it!

Like other reviewers, I will not share too much about the plot. This initially frustrated me when I was deciding whether or not to read it but I was very glad for their closed lips. You do not want anything spoiled for you. I do few comfortable sharing a few things though.

First the book is divided into halves. Although I have not bought my own copy yet, I am planning to because the second half illuminates the first half in a most kick-ass way. Upon finishing, all I wanted to do was go back and reread the whole thing again (couldn't because I needed to get up early the next day but very much wanted to). Thus I highly recommend buying your own copy so that you can do that.

Second the book is set during World War II from the Allied side-primarily Scottish, English, and French people make up the cast. It's mostly young women who are our focus, which is very exciting. I love getting to read about women doing what was traditionally considered men's work and, as Wein shares in her author's note, the things they do, while not common, are plausible.

Lastly I found this book incredibly affecting and powerful. I was still thinking about it a day later and managed to make myself cry a second and third time (that third time is just now as I write this review-it is highly possible that I will cry again thinking about this book as the days go back).

So that's about all I feel safe sharing. Is there anything stopping you from checking this book out? Please let me know and I will do my best to convince you otherwise as this has probably been my favorite read of the year so far and will definitely be a contender for best read overall of 2012....more

"A Missing van Gogh PaintingA Burglarized MansionA Ransom NoteTwo Japanese Gangsters on the LooseFour Destroyed PaintingsAn Unexplained SuicideAnd Two Girls who must solve the mystery, save the art, and catch the criminals."

This caught my interest for being a YA relatively uninterested in romance as well as for its contemporary Japanese setting. Though there's more to the story, these statements are fairly accurate.

Our main character is Violet and she adores manga, so much so that she is drawing her very own incorporating some of her real-life interests into the art. She plans to continue adding to it over the summer while staying with her father and working at a comic book store. However it seems that her father was unprepared for her arrival, not even telling his girlfriend about Violet's existence! This does not start the holiday off well but the situation picks up when Violet discovers she is going to accompany her father to Japan so he can paint a mural. She also gets to flex her detecting muscles when she learns about a missing van Gogh painting and sketches and the Japanese mobsters who are after her father's patron. Can Violet crack the case?

While writing my summary above, I realized that there are so many little threads in this book (including several I didn't feel like could fit in that already stuffed synopsis). I think that one of my big enjoyments was seeing them all come together especially since they seemed so bewildering in the beginning. Of particular enjoyment to me was Violet's attempts at detection, which she incorporates into a new manga, allowing her to puzzle items out. My disappointment though was that while the drawings are described in depth, they are not included. This is a great example of how artwork could enhance a reading experience and I feel like this was a missed opportunity.

As I mentioned, there are a lot of threads in this book and though most are juggled and brought in well, I would have liked a lot more about two in particular. One was Violet's relationship with her father. He hasn't been very present in her life since she lives with her mom but he also loses himself in his art even when she is around. She is able to challenge him on his disengagement but I wasn't fully satisfied.

The other element was Violet's romance. For a long time, she's been in love with her best friend but is afraid to jeopardize their friendship. Consequently, when there are movements toward romance, it is not swoony and dreamy but is instead based on their solid longstanding but mostly unseen and unfelt by the reader friendship.

This book looked exactly like my kind of read: fun, flirty contemporary albeit with a twist. See, main character Ella talks to painter Edward Willing,This book looked exactly like my kind of read: fun, flirty contemporary albeit with a twist. See, main character Ella talks to painter Edward Willing, who has been dead for about one hundred years. Like serious in-depth conversations with him about his life and her own life. It's kind of a shock but it really appealed to me. I don't think this gimmick will work for everyone but I thought it was a fun twist.

Other great elements were the sense of humor shared by Ella and her friends. I laughed at many points in the book. As a Pennsylvania girl, I really appreciated the Philadelphia setting although I'm not very familiar with the city myself so I cannot comment on any accuracy issues. I wasn't the biggest fan of the love story, which has South Philly Ella crushing on popular boy Alex. It was cute enough but I didn't get a lot of sparks between the two.

My big problem with this book was a specific conflict with Ella, who is so insecure and constantly pushes away Alex and any attempts at happiness. She can't see how anyone would be interested in her. Now I completely understand that (if high school me was a YA character, she would have been just as annoying...or probably more so in this regard) but I'm afraid I was not super sympathetic in this case.

I also thought the book was a little choppy in places with some things taking forever to happen and others happening in the blink of an eye. This pacing was a distraction from my overall general enjoyment of this book.

One last thing to note is that it looks like this book is connected to Jensen's previous book Falling in Love with English Boys but it can be read as a standalone. Saying that, I definitely want to check out that earlier book because I really enjoy Jensen's writing....more

I realized I kind of made a mistake in requesting this book once I started reading it. NotSource: Received a free copy through Amazon's Vine program.

I realized I kind of made a mistake in requesting this book once I started reading it. Not because it wasn't good, well-written, interesting, engaging. But because I wanted to be reading it with a book club and taking part in a discussion. I also wanted to add the many suggested books to my already massive to-be read list.

This is a tiny book but a really excellent one that packs a punch. There are sixteen chapters answering the questions posed on the cover that are answered in clear language; Thoennes also includes end of chapter discussion questions and extensive additional reference suggestions. I found this book filled with good stuff.

My favorite chapter was probably the one about the Trinity, an idea which I've struggled with since I prepared for my baptism. It's so hard for me to wrap my mind around but the description and questions posed within have already helped me. As I continue to mull and pray about the Trinity, I feel that I will gain more understanding about the Trinity and thus about God.

Overall: A good, deep, biblical read; recommended especially for people just starting to study the Christian faith....more

This was a very frustrating experience for me because most ofWolfsbane by Andrea CremerPhilomel, 2011390 pagesYA; Paranormal3.5/5 stars

Source: Bought

This was a very frustrating experience for me because most of the YA books I've read that feature love triangles are pretty obviously bent to one side (now, I do tend to avoid love triangle stories so my experience is not necessarily representative of the current trends in YA lit). But this book, while leaning one way, has not obviously knocked out the other player.

On the one hand, Shay seems to be the obvious victor. He's now a wolf with a mysterious destiny, has a much higher page count than Ren, makes Calla a little bit jealous, and basically seals the deal by the end of the book. (He's also my personal pick as Ren did some low things to Calla in the first book. Although I'm also on a kill the main character kick, which seems unlikely in this first-person narrated book but if Calla were to die to save her pack, leaving Shay and Ren to mourn, I'd be down with that.) And yet Ren still remains a presence, confusing Calla's mind and heart. While I say that I love unpredictability, that element in the triangle is annoying me. I just want Calla to make a decision and remain with it instead of constantly twisting herself. She's supposed to be the alpha, the confident leader and yet when this trips her up, I lose respect for her.

That's the main reason for the low rating. Another is that the characters aren't really exciting to me. Nightshade ended by introducing a bunch of new characters, who are more fleshed out in this book, but none of them grabbed me. We also get to see some more of Calla's pack and the hated villains of the first book but most of the book is spent on the newbies.

The other reason is that I didn't feel very drawn to finish this book. I started it, abandoned it about halfway through, and then came back to it because I knew I wanted to post this review. Thus I did not find it quite as compelling as Nightshade.

However I do think Andrea Cremer shines when giving us backstory and world-building because I gobbled those bits up. I suppose it might have something to do with her being a history professor but the wolf mythology and the way that history has been disseminated among the various rival groups within the Nightshade trilogy has me hooked. I will probably read the third book just to see the unraveling of the past lies and for more of the well-written action scenes.

I did end up preferring Cascade to Waterfall except for the ending which found Gabi, Lia, and their mom going back in timeSPOILERS-SERIOUSLY SPOILERS!

I did end up preferring Cascade to Waterfall except for the ending which found Gabi, Lia, and their mom going back in time to rescue their father/husband from an early death. I was appalled at their continued meddling in the timeline. It wasn't enough that they were diverting Marcello from marrying that woman, extending Fortino's life, and creating the legend of the She-Wolves of Siena. Now they are adding a fourth modern person to medieval Italy and erasing him from the contemporary timeline.

Additionally I'm kind of over all of them being so fluent in the language and having the fighting skills necessary to survive. It just made it seem too easy. And I was not thrilled with Gabi getting married and the rest of her family deciding to stay in the past with her; so uncomfortable that she was making such a huge change largely for a guy. But that wasn't her only reason; her other reason was...

That life is lived more fuller there-wtf? If you're not living life to the fullest in modern times, that's your fault. It's not because of what life is like here. However to be perfectly honest, I think it really depends on what you prize. While I love my family and my God (and would no matter what time period), I also love modern conveniences such as electricity, indoor plumbing, penicillin and other pharmaceuticals, automobiles and planes, and computers (and more). I also love being literate (I don't know that time period well but I do know that only a tiny percentage of all people were literate and that went double for women) and our improvements in communication (even as I wrote this in California, you are reading it anywhere). I guess what I'm saying is that I thought Gabi's decision was stupid and the author didn't sufficiently convince me otherwise. Thus the book became far too fantastical for me (even beyond the whole time travel thing).

Overall: This book just conflicted too much with my personal opinions about time travel and what I would do in such a situation. I was intensely invested in the characters and their decisions, such that I had a bit of a pain in my stomach while reading some parts. However the conclusion pissed me off. I wish all the best as the series is continued but I will not be reading them.

Cover: He is so gross looking; I want to give him a bath, a shave, and a haircut. I much preferred the girls from the other book covers....more

The Iron Thorn was a surprise favorite from last year so I was very excited to pick this up. Unfortunately, due to poor planning, I had a huge stack oThe Iron Thorn was a surprise favorite from last year so I was very excited to pick this up. Unfortunately, due to poor planning, I had a huge stack of review books to get through first, meaning that this book has been staring at me for too long before I finally picked it up to read. Of course, it had also been about a year since I read the first one which mean that it took me a while to get back into the groove of the characters and the story.

While I remembered the uniquely named Aoife, I couldn't entirely remember the circumstances in which we last saw her. That made the beginning pages a struggle especially as I could not remember Conrad, who as Aoife's brother is actually an important character. Happily as the book progressed, most of the first book returned to me while Aoife's adventure in this book developed, giving her purpose and the book its own plot within the larger framework of the series.

That plot is Aoife's search to fix the damage caused by her opening the Gates in her world and specifically to find her mother who was lost in Lovecraft. To save her mother, Aoife would do almost anything, something I identified very strongly with. I would go to great lengths to protect my family and face the same things Aoife does.

However as the book progresses we focus almost entirely on Aoife. Understandably since she is the main character but sadly to me because I really liked Dean and Cal in the first book while they are almost entirely sidelined in this book. We also meet some new characters who do have bigger parts, most notably to me as Aoife's almost stepmother Valentina and the intriguing Rasputina, who gives Aoife a lift when she needs one.

Overall: I didn't like it quite as much as the first book but I wonder if that would be the case if I had saved them to read one right after the other. I bet that would have helped me to keep everything on track.

Cover: I don't think she looks quite human here; I guess her Fae side is being pulled out more but it looks really weird to me. I do really like the blues used though....more